Tension device



IVIl` A. REPLOGLE. TENSION DEVICE.

PPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1918.

1,380,837, PauaJune 7, 11921.

' citizen of the United States, residin entre rs MARK A. REPLOGLE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

- TENSION DEVICE.

Application filed July 15,

To all w11 om t may conccrn:

Be it known that I, MARK A. RErLoGLE, a at Akron, in the county of Summit and btate of Ohio, liave invented new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices, of which the following is a specification.

AThis invention relates primarily to tensioning or stretching structures and, more especially, to devices employed in coperative association With tire-building machines, for stretching a strip of fabric longitudinally-and, particularly, along its medial line-.to a predetermined, definite and uniform degree.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein means are in` eluded for roducing auniform stretching' of a stran strip or sheet of4 material throughout a required length,'\such means operating automatically, and being selfchanging, to conform to variations in the texture of the material, in the degree of pull on any portion thereof, etc.

Another object, of relatively equal importance,is to provide a structure for eect- -ing a predetermined degree of stretch of a strip of material, the stretching thereof being uniform throughout the longitudinal dmensi'ons of any required portion or portions thereof; the components of the structure -being self-functioning to vary their action according to changes in the character of the element bein treated, etc.

Anothero ject Within. the contemplationl of the invention is to provide a structure of'.

' the character referred to, for association With a thread, vcord, rope, or With a web or strip of fabric, being fed from one position of support to another,- tlie action and co-action of the parts being suchthat the element being treated will' be maintained under a predetermined and definite tension `regardless of fluctuations or changes in the speed at which the element is being moved, and irre.-

spective of variations inthe thickness, texture, or other conditions of the element itself; such variations becoming operative to effect proper co-action of the components of the structure lso that the tension of the ele`y mentwill remain constant always.

-`"While the'fstructure constituting my invention is notlimited in'its application to any particular field of use; nevertheless, it

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 7, 1192i.

191s. serial No. 244,990.

yvhen utilized in connection With tire-making machinery and particularly in delivering tire-fabric to 'a carcass-forming core in proper condition as to the longitudinal stretch along its medial portion or portions. It is especially desirable in this art to create a uniform and constant resistance to the feeding or pulling f the tire-fabric from a supply roll to the carcass-forming core so that, While being delivered to the core, the fabric maybe uniformly elongated along certainl lines.

In devices heretofore used, it Was quite usual to employ a braking element. or the like in connection With a tension drum; but, when the tension had oncebeen set, it re-y mained practically unchangeable; hence, it was practically limpossible thereby to obtain a vconstantly. uniformk elongation of the fabric along its medial lines if the final character of the fabric, for instance, should change or vary at any point. In consequence, the fabric Would either be overstretched 'or under-stretched, with the result tliata tire-carcass Would be produced Which presented certain points of Weakness at different portions and with consequent limiting of its capacity to withstand load and pressure. strains and stresses. In contradistinction to this, my invention contemplates the controlling of the components of tlie'fabric-stretching structure so that 4the action of the tension-producing 'instrumentalities thereof .will be increased or decreased in direct proportion to such changes as the physical character of the fabric, the speed at which it is beingwithdrawn, the amount of force applied, and other usage conditions, re-

uire. y A still further object of the inventionis to provide a tensioning `structure which may be easily and quickly adjusted, at the will of the operator, to any predeterminedv or required degree.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for proper 4action of the components of the structure in the event that it be desired to Areverse the direction-` of movement of the element under treatment-tire fabric, for instance-for the purpose of re-winding, for example. v

The above and additional objects of a similar nature-Which will be hereinafterl more specifically treated-maybe accom lished, by suchmeans as are illustrated in t e accomaneth-er component of the i stub-.axles 14. Y

thereof; and

panying drawings, described in the followl ing specication, and then more particularl pointed out in the claimsfhereto appende With reference to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice and wherein similar characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the stretching or tensioning structure;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in rear'ele- `ration thereof;

Fig. 3 is also a fragmentary view in front elevation of a component of the structure, this being an "oscillatory tension-governing member upon `which the fabric or other element being treated is disposed to accomplish the functioning of the other' components in perspective of structure and one which is infiuenced by the tension-governing member. Y

,ln these drawings, the reference-numeral 10 designates a base or standard comprising, in this instance, an upstanding portion 11, and extending porti-ons'or arms 12, the arms being arranged in substantial parallelism and being provided'at' their extremities with bearings 13 in which are journaled alined Fig. 4 is a detail view Supported on the stub-axles 14C is an oscillatory tension-governing frame or cradle, designated generally by the reference-character 15; this comprising side member 16 1n which are journaled idler rolls 17 and 18.

As seen in Fig. 2, the upper' part of the upstanding portion 11 is bifurcated to pr-ovide supports for brackets 19 in which is journaled a shaft 2() which Isustains a friction drum 21, around which a web or strip of fabric 22 is adapted to move from an idler roll 23 (Fig. l), this fabriccoming from a suitably disposed stock-roll 23a.

Associated with and fast on one end of the shaft 20 is a brake drum or band-pulley 24.

ln the present embodiment of the invenf tion, means are provided for creating a pressure on the drum for thereby transmitting the same to the friction-drum 21. Preferably and as shown, such means .comprises a brake or friction-shoe 25 formed as a part of a supporting member 26, this latter being pivoted, as at 27, on the upstanding portion 11 of the upright 10 for.vertical movement in relation to the drum 24. The shoe has an upper surface normally in engagement with the periphery ofthe friction drum.

Associated with the friction shoe and its supporting member are means for normall holding the shoe V1n engagement with the drum. These means are adapted to exert a regulable and predetermined frictional presy so controlled that the which may require assess? sure between the shoe and the friction drum. Such means, preferably and as here shown, comprise a bell-crank-lever element 28 which fulcrums on an axis 29 in a bracket 30 outstanding from one side of the stand,- ard 10. lt is desirablethat this lever shall be capable of nice adjustment and balance; and, to this end, it is provided at one extremity with a weighted portion or counterbalance 3l, this being located between the two members 32 and 33, respectively of the bell-crank.v Suspended from the extremitiy of the member which sustains weights 35,' or t-he like.

eans are provided for connecting the bellcrank with the friction shoe and, in this instan-ce,'these means include a pair of links 36, these each being pivotally connected to the belllcrank-lever (as at 37 and to the shoe-supporting member 26 (as at 38), the former pivot being slightly out of aline-ment with the pivot 29 of the bell-crank and the pivot 38.

32 is a weight-support lt will now be apparent that pressure, Y

tional resistance to the movement of the material 22 over the drum 21 to a juXta. posed carcass-forming core C.

ln conjunction with the resistance-creating means just described, there is also provided a secondary and automatic means for taking up and accommodating constantlyoccurring variations due, for inst-ance, to the character of the material, the speed and force with which it is drawn; through the tensioning structure, etc., so that, when the tension is initially set in the primary device, such tension will be constantly maintained under and on account of the varying conditions aforementioned. In other words, it is desirable that the braking element shall -be force exerted thereby on the friction-drum shall increase or decrease in direct response to changes or variations, such as the physical character of the material being used and other conditions that the resistance to the movement of the fabric ontothe carcassforming core Shall be creased or decreased in order to create and maintain the required and uniform elongationof the fabric along its medial line. Means are, therefore, provided which are responsive to the changes in the resistance of the material set up in the primary tension device for automatically regulating this tension during the movement of the V'fabric therethrough, such means being influenced and acting directly under the control of the automatically inexert a pull on the fabric.

moving fabric, itself. These means, preferably and as here shown, comprise the aforementioned oscillatory tension-governing cradle 15, this being freely oscilla'ble in its bearings; and means are provided for utilizing the oscillation of the cradle as a secondary and automatic control for the friction existing between the shoe and the drum 24. Such means, preferably and as here shown, include a pendant arm 39, this being fast on one of the stub-axles 14. Pivotally connected to its lower end isa connecting rod 40, this being likewise pivotally connected tothe member33 of the bellcrank. Itv will thus be seen that move-ment of the cradle 15 will be transmitted through the pendant arm 39 and connecting rod 40,

to the bell-crank to rock the same on its axis 29.

Operation: The operation of the structure may be briefly explained as follows: As seen in Fig. 1, the fabric 22 is threaded under the idler-roll 23, thence up 4over the drum 21, thence up and over the roll 17 of the cradle, thencedown and under the roll 18, and thence onto the carcass-forming core. When the core (being-rotatable) is thrown into operation, it will immediately A predetermined pressure having been established (by `means of the weights on the bell-crank) between the frictlon-shoe 25 and the drum 24, the pull exertedon the fabric, as the core rotates, will have a tendency to oscillate the cradle 15 in its bearings, as in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1. This movement of .the cradle-utilized as a secondary or automatic control of the primary friction-is transmitted through the arm 39 and connecting rod 40 to the bell-crank, and this in turn, by reason of the fact that the links 36 are pivoted to the bell-crank above its fulcrum 29 and out ofalinement with the fulcrum 29 and the pivot 38, tends to lower the shoe and decrease the friction between it and the drum. On the other hand, movement ofthe cradle in a clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 1) will o erate the parts in the opposite direction an tend to raise the shoe against the drum. It willy be understood, of course, that the normal tension on the drum 24 will be predetermined before the machine is put into operation. Then, in the event that the pull n the fabric becomes greater than this prede-v termined tension, the action ofthe parts to increase its frictional -contact with the drum and thereby exert an additional ten'- e sion thereon which will affect the 'fabric t0 the required degree. Obviously, the initial, predetermined tension may be varied by` manipulating the weights 35.

By the structure thus described, fabric which passes from the idler roll 23 through the tensioning device and, thence, onto the rotating core, will be -elongated or stretched to a predetermined degree which, generally,

required degree, this being accomplished according to the degree of resistance imposed upon the tension drum.

It will be understood that the primary tension device is constantly active to'control the relation between the drum 24 and the shoe to establish a predetermined degree of pressure therebetween; but the secondary controlling means-acting directly under the control of the fabric itself when fluctuations and variations occur, either in the character of the fabric itself or in the speed or force with which it is being moved between its supporting roll and the carcass-forming core-functions to modify the action of the primary tension device so as to maintain the tension .constant regardless of these flue'- tuations variations, etc. Thus, a uniform degree of elongation .and stretchunder all conditions may be accomplished.

While the invention/has been disclosed in connection with a specific embodiment; nevertheless, it is to be understood that Vit is not limited thereto, since it is susceptible of a wide range of modification without departing from its spirit or sacrificing any of its salient features or underlying princi les'.

at I claim is:

1.A tensioning structure comprising a support, a primary -pressure-producin vice sustained thereby and including a grum, a brake-shoe engageable therewith, a primary pressure-producin device associated With the brake-shoe an including a counterbalanced bell-crank-lever; in combination with a secondary pressure-producing device including an oscillatory instrumentality and a connection between said instrumentality` and thebell-crank-lever whereby movement of the instrumentality effects movement of the bell-crank to change the relation of the brake-shoe with respect to the drum.

2. A tensioning structure including.;r a support, a drum sustained thereby, a brake-shoe engageable therewith, a primary pressureproducing' device operatively associated With the brake-shoe and including a counterbalanced bell-crank-lever, and a connection betweenv the lever and the brake-shoe; in combination with a secondary pressureproducing,- device including an oscillatory cradle, and a connection between the cradle -and the bell-crank whereby movement of thecradle actuates the bell-crank to `change the relation of the shoe with respect to the drum.

3. A tensioning structure including a support, a drumY mounted thereon, a brakeshoe sustained by the support and engageable with the drum,`and a primary pressureproducing` device operatively associated with the brake-slice, and including a bellcrank-lever carrying,` a counterbalancing weight, and a. connection between the lever and the shoe; in combination with a secondary pressure-producing device including an oscillatory cradle 'associated with the support, and a connection between the cradle and the bell-crank including an arm and a connecting-rod, whereby oscillation of the cradle will actuate the arm and rod and be transmitted to the bell-crank-lever, and

thereby be transmitted to the brake-shoe to change `the relation between it andthe drum;

4. A fabric-stretching structure including a support, a friction-drum sustained thereby, a brake-shoe engageable with the drum, an arm pivoted on ,the support and sustaining the shoe, and a primary pressure-producing device comprising a bell-cranli-lever pivoted on the support and formed with a counterbalancing Weight at one end and carrying weights at its opposite end, and a link connecting' the bell-crank-lever to the shoe-supporting arm; in combination with a secondary pressure-producing device cornprising` an oscillatory cradle pivotally sustained by the support, a cradle-actuating arm associated with the cradle, and a connect-ion between the arm and the bell-crank whereby movement of the cradle will be transmitted to the bell-crank to change the relation oi the shoe with respect to the drum.

5. A fabric-stretching structure,including a support comprising an upstanding portion and an angulated extension, al shaft jour"- naled vin the support, a drmn encompassing the shaft, a friction-drum tast on the shaft, a brake-shoe engageable with the drum, a shoe-supporting arm pivotedon the Support and carrying' the shoe, and a Iprimary pressure-prmlucing device associated with the shoe and comprising a bell-cran'k-lever pivoted on the support and formed with a counterbalancing weight, a Weight-Support mounted on the extremity of the lever, and a connection between the lever and the shoesupporting arm; in combination with a secondary pressure-producing device including an oscillatory cradle fulcrumed on the angulated extension of the support, an actuating arm connected to the cradle, and a connection between the arm and the bell-cranklever, whereby oscillatory movement of the cradle will be transmitted to the bell-cranklever to change the relation between the shoe and the drum.

ln witness whereof, ll have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARK A. REPLOGLE. Witnesses:

R. S. TROGNER, B. J. MCDANEL. 

